


and when they touch, a fire sparks

by fannishtendencies



Series: Gems!Sonic AU [3]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddles, Established Relationship, Gems!AU Sonic, Kids in a War, Kisses, M/M, Secret Relationship, Sort Of, Touching, timeline: after nightmares before the war is over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25960564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannishtendencies/pseuds/fannishtendencies
Summary: Sonic and Knuckles have a chat, plus cuddles.
Relationships: Knuckles the Echidna/Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower & Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic & His Friends
Series: Gems!Sonic AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884202
Kudos: 21





	and when they touch, a fire sparks

**Author's Note:**

> unedited idk

it feels like magic he cannot name, when they kiss. his strong, red arms around  _ his _ blue waist and suddenly, suddenly the world isn't such a bad place. maybe there isn't a war going on. it's just him and knuckles, sneaking off into the night, stealing a kiss or two in a cave.

but even as their lips touch, even as he dreams away, he can't shake the dreadful feeling weighing on his chest. 

he pulls away.

"Knuckles?"

"Yeah?" he asks gently, lovingly. it's so unlike knuckles on the battlefield, who is fierce and loud and boisterous. he lets sonic lead here, in their hard-earned privacy. he doesn't let go of their connection.

  
  


"I think I  _ love _ you." sonic says it like a question. it's a moment of insecurity he'd never let eggman or the diamonds see; only for knuckles, only for knuckles. 

"I love you too." it wasn't the first time they'd said it. in all those gestures, all those words with hidden meanings, they had to shove feeling into them, a disguised love note. but here, they can be blunt.

knuckles likes that part. 

but instead of smiling, or better - giving him another kiss, sonic only frowns, looks away. the ever-present bubbling pit of anxiety returns to knuckles; it has haunted him ever since he began his journey alone to find the chaos emeralds. ever since he left sonic.

"But I can't love you." knuckles struggles to conceal his surprise. his grip on sonic's waist loosens, and he almost - almost - takes a step back. but he waits for sonic to say more.

he doesn't say more.

it bothers knuckles that sonic assumes he knows everything. or more specifically, he knows the outcome of every battle, every conversation. the only surprises he counts on are those he orchestrates. 

what bothers knuckles more, though, is the pain in sonic's voice. 

"Why not?" he asks earnestly. he can't shut down every problem with a harsh joke or a quick kiss, and he's sure that sonic needs to talk this one out. then again, when has sonic not had to talk out a problem?

"Because we're in a war." the cold, hard truth. it smacks you in the face when you forget it. and for knuckles, it is so, so easy to forget with sonic in his arms.

"They will take you away from me. They will take you and Tails and - and - " he imagines it vividly. everyone he loves, has ever loved, will love, forced to endure pain tenfold.  _ it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. _

he feels soft lips against his, though, and he  _ melts _ .

"They might. But me, and Tails, and everyone, we have fight in us. You'd be a fool if you thought we'd go easy." he says this softly, but with a vigor sonic can't ignore.  _ he means it, he means it, he means it. _

"I'm afraid," he admits quietly, chokingly, and his grip tightens. "Afraid of what might happen."

they snuck off just to do this. just to speak, to kiss, in secret. and sonic knows that he isn't alone in his fear.

knuckles considers this, hesitating. 

"You have every right to be," he replies finally, and a smile slides onto his lips. "But I love you. And I might not be able to speak for the others, but I'll do whatever it takes to come back to you."

_ i love you, i love you, i love you. _

the words ring through sonic's head, and he allows a smile to take over his face as well. when he hugs knuckles close, he feels both of their hearts beating fast.

and when he touches him, a fire sparks in his soul. 

~°~°~°~°~

forget, forget, forget.

its so easy, isn't it, to forget.

like, for example, when two gems wake in a cave far away from where they were meant to sleep, in each other's arms.

"Knu - Knuckles, we have to go. Chaos, look how high the sun is, they're probably worrying so much right now."

knuckles is sleepy, still, and sonic has to carry him on his shoulder halfway back while he wakes up. he is bogged down more by knuckles' insistent kisses, on his cheek, forehead, ears. he is sloppy and laughing.

"If you can kiss, you can walk by yourself," he jokes, only for knuckles to sweep him off his feet - literally - and nuzzle him in the neck.

"I'll just multitask."


End file.
